Letter-press.



No. 956,530. PATENTED APR. 5, 1904.

W. A. ROSENBAUM.

LETTER PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

WMM' l Ww ai@ (Mx: 351i SHOM/w13 Iatented April b5, 1904;

PATENT OFFICE.

VALTER A. ROSENBAUM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LETTER-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,530, dated April 5, 1904.

'Application 'lled May 22, 1903. Serial No. 158,331. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concer-n,.-

Be it known that LINALTER A. RosENBAUM, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Letter-Presses Operated by Fluid-Pressure, of which the following is a specilication.

By use of the present invention the pressure necessary fox-"making copies of letters in the usual way is supplied instantly by merely turning a valve and is as instantly released by another movement of the valve.

It is the object of one of the preferred features of this invention to provide means whereby a hydraulic letter-press may be readily and cheaply adapted to various pressures in the water-mains which supply it.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a form of hydraulic letter-press as shall accommodate itself to uneven shape of the letterbook,while preserving substantiall y constant pressure over the entire surface.

The form of press herein described and claimed is symmetrical, cheaply constructed, takes up but a little room, and at the same time comprises means whereby relatively low water-pressure can be applied to the production of the necessarily great eort exerted in copying letters.

Multiplication of pressure by the use of large cylinders or by successive cylinders is open to the objection of unwieldiness, leakage, and constant repair, and it is one of the advantages of this invention that these difficulties are avoided.

In its preferred form the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a side view of a press made in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a front View of the same, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same with the cover or top broken away. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the same on the line x in Fig. 2. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are sectional details of the valve; and Fig. 8 is a detail view, partly broken away, showing the preferred pressing-knob and its mode of application to the equalizing-lever.

On the top of the stand 1 is the usual bearingplate 2, rmly fixed to the stand by means of bolts 3 passing down through hollow legs 4. Two hydraulic cylinders 5 are preferably employed, to the lower part only of each of which the water is admitted. These cylinders are preferably supported, as shown in Fig. 2, by means of strong cast-iron casings 6, which are preferably held in place by the same bolts 4 as fasten down the plate 2. This is plainly shown in the sectional portion or' Fig. 2.

Within each of the cylinders 5 there moves a piston 7, properly packed in any well-known manner, so as to be water-tight. of each casing 6 there is fixed a firm bearing 8, shaped so as to provide a suitable fulcrum for one of the pair of pressure-levers 9, as shown in dotted lines on the left-hand side of Fig. 2. `The opposite end of each lever 9 projects through a slot 10 on the side of the cylinder 5 and bears on the top of a piston 7.

The horizontal plan arrangement of the parallel pressure-levers 9 is shown in Fig.y 3. As preferred, each lever 9 is fulcrumed on the side of its corresponding cylinder-casing 6, the fulcrum on one casing being arranged opposite to that of the other and in such a position that the two levers will lie parallel, while the tip of each bears at or near the center of the piston in the cylinder opposite that one on which it is fulcrumed.

In the preferred form shown power is transmitted from the pressure-levers 9 by means of an equalizing -lever 11, the two ends of which rest in appropriate sockets 12, placed at' different distances from the fulcrum or' each lever 9. The sockets 12 are so placed as to act in pairs for the support of equalizing-levers of diierent lengths, for the purpose hereinafter pointed out.

In the middle of. the lever l1 the pressureknob 13 is applied, the same being provided with a pin 14, adapted to extend downward through an aperture in the middle of the lever 11. This aperture is made to Hare downwardly, as shown in Fig. 8, so that the knob 13 and pin 14 may swing on the bearing 15 of the lever 11. (Shown best in Figs. 2 and 8.) This is to allow accommodation for any inequalities in adjustment or workmanship and to give a flexible support to the platen 16,

On one side IOO which is provided with a suitable socket for receiving the knob 13, as shown in Fig. 2. Around the edges of said socket and surrounding the knob 13 I prefer to place acircular cushion 17 preferably of rubber or like elastic material. By thus mounting the platen on the knob 13 and ring 17 I obtain a lieXible mounting accommodating itself to any inequalities in the thickness of the book, while` insuring practically uniform pressure over the entire surface. The dotted lines in Fig. 2 show the path of the platen during operation.

WVater is supplied to the bottoms of the cylinders 5 by means of the branch pipes 18, supplied from the main pipe 19. The iiow of water is controlled by a suitable three-way cock 20, preferably operated bythe valvestem 21 and hand-wheel 22. This wheel is.

best placed near the top or on top of the table, as shown in Fig. 1, it being there easily accessible to the user. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 show the positions of the valve during different stages of operation.

It will be seen that by the arrangement of levers shown the pressure in each of the two cylinders is multiplied in course of transmission to the platen 16. Each of the levers 9 receives the pressure on the long arm, represented by virtually its entire length, while it transmits it through a lever-arm represented by the distance between its fulcrum and that particular socket 12 which is atany time supporting the equaliZing-lever 11. Where it is desired to vary the amount of multiplication of power to suit changes in pressure in the mains which operate the press, equalizing-levers of different length may be used and may be inserted in different pairs of sockets 12.

It is obvious that in the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 the equalizing-lever 11 is shown, and this arrangement is suited to use of the lowest pressure in the mains, since it corresponds to Athe shortest available lever-arm through which power is exerted from the levers 9.

The operation of the device is as follows: The book having been prepared in the usual manner is placed between the platen 16 and the pressure-plate 2, and the valve 20 is then turned into the position shown in Fig. 7, wherein water enters from the main 23 and passes to the cylinders. The effect of this is to instantly subject the book to the full pressure on the mains. rlhis pressure may either be continued by keeping the valve in the position shown at Fig. 7 or the valve can be taken to the position shown at Fig. 6, wherein the water under the pistons is confined. When the pressure has been maintained for a sufficient length of time, the valve is turned to the position shown in Fig. 5, wherein the water is allowed to escape through the pipe 211, and the book can then be removed from the press. It is obvious that this device lends itself to use in connection with compressed air or other gas as well as to use with water, and while the latter use is preferred the claims hereof are not. to be limited thereto.

A number of obvious changes may be made in the construction of this invention by eXercise of the judgment of one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, and the following claims are not to be limited, save as expressly set forth in each claim respectively.

What I claim is- 1. In a power letter-press, a stand, a bearing-plate, a movable platen, a cylinder and piston adapted to operate under Huid-pressure, means for transmitting power from said piston to said platen and a bearing -means flexibly supported so as to yield in every-direction and so as to bear directly against said platens, substantially as described.

2. In a power letter-press, a stand a bearing-plate, and a platen in combination with a pressure-knob arranged within a socket on said platen and an elastic cushion on said knob for supporting the edge of said socket, substantially as described.

3. In a power letter-press, a stand, a bearing-plate, and a platen in combination with a flexibly-mounted pressure-knob entering a` socket in said platen, and an elastic cushion surrounding said knob for supporting the ed ge of said socket, substantially as described.

4. In a power letterpress, two cylindersandi pistons adapted to operate under fluidpressure, two separately-fulcrumed pressurelevers respectively bearing upon said two pistons, an equalizing-lever carried by said pressure-levers, compression means for a letterbook and means for transmitting pressure from the equalizing-lever to the compression means, substantially as described.

5. In a power letter-press, two cylinders and pistons adapted to operate under fluidpressure two separately-fulcrumed pressurelevers bearing respectively upon said two pistons, compression means for aletter-book, and means for transmitting the pressure from said pressure-levers to said compression means, substantially as described.

6. In a power letter-press,two pressure-levers, means for applying the power to one end of each, a number of bearing-sockets on each lever and equalizer -,bars. the ends of which IOO IIO

are adapted to find support in said sockets,

' knob having a pin passing through an aperture in the middle of said equaliZing-lever, and a platen supported by said pressure-lever, substantially as described.

8. In a power letter-press, two pressure-levers, an equalizer carried thereby and pressure-knob ieXibly supported in the middle of said equalizing-bar, a platen having a socket bination with the Xed compression member and platen thereof, two pressure-cylinders, a fulcrum beside each, said fulcrums being placed on opposide sides of said cylinders, a plunger in each cylinder and two transmission# levers each of which has a bearing on one of said fulcrums at one end While its other end is supported by one of said plungers, substantially as described.

WALTER A. ROSENBAUM. Witnesses:

H. S. MACKAYE, MARIE M. HOVEY. 

